


Crossing The Line

by cool_nick_miller



Category: Stumptown (TV)
Genre: Best Friends, Dex x Grey, F/M, Flirting, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Male-Female Friendship, PTSD, Pushing boundaries, dex and grey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:54:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22402909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cool_nick_miller/pseuds/cool_nick_miller
Summary: Dex and Grey didn’t cross the line...until, they did.A little collection of moments where Dex and Grey push the boundaries of their friendship.
Relationships: Grey McConnell & Dex Parios, Grey McConnell/Dex Parios
Comments: 29
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> My first Stumptown fic. Let me know if there are any scenarios you want included! 
> 
> This will venture fully into M territory eventually, FYI. Trigger warning for PTSD, panic attacks.

Crossing The Line:

Chapter One:

_"You seem like a really nice guy, and this is...this is nice, you know, and I like...but I...I can't cross the line because if I do, I mess it up...I kill everything."_

_"Well here's a crazy idea: what if we just don't cross the line again?"_

...

And that line was was one that stood firm for quite some time.

Until, somewhere along the way...it just... _didn't_.

It hadn't been intentional. At least, not to start with. Things just began to happen that muddied the waters slightly. They blurred the line, rather than crossing it. Straddled it, sometimes, if you will. Conveniently forgetting the promise they'd made, and immediately reverting back to business as usual without so much as a second thought once the moment had passed.

They were exceptionally good at that part.

It all began so innocently. Twelve months into their friendship, Dex and Grey had established a familiar Friday night routine: video games and take-out at her place (Ansel always got to choose what they ordered), with the two of them venturing out to a bar at the end of her street afterwards. Dex refused to go any further afield, insisting she be close by should Ansel need her, but the bar had a pool table and served half decent beer, so Grey never bothered arguing. Besides, it meant he could sleep on their couch if he drank too much, so he supposed it was a win-win.

Dex had just beaten Grey at pool, _again_ , and he graciously accepted defeat, slinking off to the bar to buy the next round of drinks. He'd paid the server and collected his order, vaguely aware of some commotion starting up behind him, turning with four beers in hand to see a small scuffle breaking out just to the left of where he and Dex had secured a table.

"What's that all about?" He nodded towards the noise.

"Too many cues and not enough tables." Dex shrugged with a chuckle, taking her beers from Grey's outstretched hand as he sat opposite her.

"One of these days, when I finally have my own bar set up, I'll make sure there's plenty of pool tables to go round. With a higher standard of clientele, of course."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well, remind me to beat you easily at each and every of _those_ tables, too..." Dex grinned.

Grey was ready with a witty retort, as ever, but it never managed to leave his lips as they were interrupted by an almighty crash. He span on his seat immediately, hands shielding his head from god-knows-what as glass began shattering to the floor around them. A full scale fight had broken out, resulting in a pool cue being smashed over someone's back and repeatedly into the overhead lights - leaving them flickering intermittently as punches flew.

"Fucking assholes..." Grey grumbled with a shake of his head "...you okay, Dex?"

He turned back to check on her, but found himself facing an empty seat.

"Dex?"

He frowned, then rose from his seat and walked around to her chair.

And that's when he saw her.

Terrified and cowering under a table 10 feet away, nearer the door, her eyes screwed shut in blind panic.

Grey knew that Dex suffered from PTSD. She didn't like to talk about it, in fact she often insisted she didn't have it at all. But every now and then, she'd disappear completely, even when she was sat right in front of him. Something as little as a certain smell could trigger a flashback, or a sudden power cut would instantly transport her back to nights of darkness on tour.

Occasionally, he'd hear her cry out in her sleep when he stayed over. Those times were hard.

There was never very much he could do, or that Dex would _allow_ him to do, to help. But he had never seen her have a reaction like this before. His stomach dropped to the floor as he watched his best friend practically fold in on herself. Without stopping to think, Grey rushed towards her, pulling Dex from under the table and practically lifting her through the doors into the cool night air outside. He didn't really know if that was what he should have done, but he just knew he needed to get Dex away from the situation as fast as possible.

"Dex, can you hear me?"

The brickwork was cold against the bare skin of her arms, but all she was aware of was the deafening pounding of her own heartbeat in her ears. It began to sound like helicopter blades repeatedly whirring above her head.

"Dex?"

She couldn't catch her breath, and even with her eyes firmly closed could still see the flashes of flares and gunfire overhead. She could smell the dirt of the ground, taste metal in the air, feel the blood on her hands...

" _DEX!_ " Grey's voice finally cut through the nightmare of images in her mind, snapping her back to the present as his hands gripped her upper arms.

She gulped frantically at the night air, trying to fill her lungs as her eyes shot open, pupils widened in fear.

"Hey, hey, it's okay Dex - it was just a fight in a bar. A pool cue smashed some lights."

She looked like a terrified animal caught in the headlights of oncoming traffic, just giving up and waiting for impact. Grey racked his brains for how to help her reconnect with where she was, to unwind her spiral of panic. He remembered an article he'd read about how people experiencing panic attacks developed grounding methods to help them. It wasn't quite the same, but he needed to try _something_.

"Give me your hand." He instructed.

Dex didn't move, merely shaking her head, a single tear slipping down her cheek. Undeterred, Grey reached down very slowly, bringing her hand up to his chest and gently placing her palm flat across his heart, holding it there as her fingers splayed against him.

"Just concentrate on my heartbeat." He whispered softly. "Follow my breathing."

Slowly and purposefully, he breathed in and out as steadily as possible, encouraging her to do the same until, eventually, she was no longer hyperventilating.

As she became calmer, Dex let out a little sigh and Grey felt her fingertips flex over his heart, pressing hard through the material of his shirt as if she needed to anchor herself to something - like he was her only grip on reality.

"See?"

Grey's head leaned towards hers, their foreheads barely touching as he spoke to her, separated by the narrowest slither of space.

" _This_ is real, Dex. You're home...you're safe."

His words hung in the air for a long while, neither of them moving from the little protective cocoon they had going on. There was a brief moment where Grey thought about pulling her to him for a hug, but then he sensed something change in the atmosphere around them.

Dex looked up at him, and Grey knew she was back. The colour had returned to her cheeks, her eyes now extremely focused on his face.

As if suddenly realising there was little to no gap between their bodies, Dex let her head fall back against the wall with an awkward laugh.

"What is this, a hallmark movie?" She quipped, hands wrapping tightly around her own waist as she forced herself to look away from him and up the street at nothing in particular.

Grey sucked his lips over his teeth and rocked back on his heels, ensuring a reasonable amount of pavement had been reinstated between them.

"Uh, so...you good?" He asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Yah, I'm good. I'm...fine. Thanks for your concern, though."

"Okay."

" _Okay_." She insisted "So are we going to go finish our drinks?"

"We don't have to go back in there, we can call it a night instead." Grey offered "Do you want me to walk you home?"

Dex scrunched up her face in disgust.

"Do I want you to _walk me home_? What are we, like, twelve?!"

"I just thought_"

"Well you thought wrong." She cut him off, desperate to avoid talking about what had just happened to her, and about that weirdly intimate moment between them.

"Alright. I'm sorry." Grey shrugged "I'm just trying to be a good friend, Dex."

"If you want to be a good friend, then come back inside so we can finish our beers and I can continue rubbing it in your face about how much better than you I am at pool."

Rolling his eyes, Grey did as he was told, stepping forward and pulling the door open for Dex as she sauntered back into the bar as if nothing the slightest bit unusual had occurred.

That had been the first time things began to change. But it wouldn't be the last.

...

...


	2. Chapter 2

Crossing The Line Ch 2:

...

Several months later:

Dex scuffed her shoes along the floor and squinted in the afternoon sunshine, taking a leisurely lick of her ice cream as she ambled back up the street, humming the chorus of Starships ‘We Built This City’ to herself. It had been stuck on a loop in her head since last night. 

That damn tape deck had a lot to answer for. 

As she rounded the corner of her street, the sound of running footsteps chased her from behind. A group of young guys with their hoods up ran past out of nowhere, their shoulders shoving her to the side as they dashed in front, yelling something unintelligible. They were up to no good, of that she was sure. Shaking her head, Dex stopped to retrieve her phone from her back pocket. Just in case. 

Fumbling to pull it out of her jeans and juggle her ice cream cone at the same time, Dex was aware the shouting had intensified ahead of her. Looking up, she spotted the group that barged past her a few moments earlier. A couple of them were caught up in an intense scuffle, with another of the men trying to use a crowbar to force open the driver’s door of a vehicle - HER vehicle - and then, in the centre of it all, she spotted Grey trying to take on two of these guys at once. 

He wasn’t the biggest or strongest of men, but Grey had learned how to handle himself pretty well growing up. He’d had to. More than capable of landing a decent punch, he also wasn’t scared to fight dirty when needed. Dex noticed he had one of the punks secured in a painful looking wrist lock, a second pinned up against the passenger door, squirming uncomfortably as Grey tightened the vice like grip he had around his throat. Unfortunately, this also left Grey with no free hands to defend himself from the third guy who had appeared behind him with the aforementioned crowbar.

The ice cream cone in Dex’s hand was instantly thrown to the ground, spattering the sidewalk with polka dot patterns she didn’t even have time to appreciate as she sprinted towards her best friend in the vain attempt to intercept the attacker from inflicting damage.

It was too late. With twenty feet still left to run, Dex watched the third guy repeatedly slam the crowbar into Grey’s arm to break his hold on the loser against the car. The sickening noise of metal landing on flesh was never one you got used to - the sound of your best friend crying out in agony, even less so. 

“Motherfuckers, that’s MY car!” She yelled, launching herself at the man with the crowbar, landing a swift kick to the back of his knee which saw him crumple to the floor before scrambling away. His friends followed, but not before one of them had thrown a parting punch squarely to the jaw of an already injured Grey, sending him crashing to the ground, hitting his head with a grunt of pain.

Dropping to one knee, Dex’s eyes immediately caught sight of the blood on Grey’s face.

“What the hell happened?”

Groaning, Grey scrunched up his eyes and slowly rose to a sitting position.

“I was just walking to your place, minding my own business, when those little assholes decided to try and steal your car right in front of me. Not only did they have NO idea how to jack a car, but they were clearly dumb as fuck along with it.”

“So, what? You thought it would be a good idea to try and take them all on at once?!”

“I know how much you like that shitty car...” He shrugged.

“Well...that was dumb.” Dex moved to kneel in front of him, ignoring his irritated frown “I mean, it was brave - nay - dare I say it: _gallant_ of you...but, super dumb none-the-less.”

“Hey - I had it handled, they didn’t succeed, didn’t they?” 

“Not after I scared them off. Luckily for you.” She murmured. 

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that.” Grey chuckled, wiping the back of his hand beneath his bleeding lip and wincing. 

Dex stood and thumbed in the direction of her home.

“Okay, Chuck...let’s get you inside. These sneakers are new and I don’t want your blood all over them. Not good for my image, y’know?”

“Chuck?” Grey asked, gingerly getting to his feet. 

“Yeah. Chuck.” Dex confirmed, seeing the blank expression on his face “You know - _Chuck Norris_...it’s what I’m going to call you after that little display.” She winked, gently nudging Grey forward with her elbow as they walked up the road to her place. 

...

Setting down a glass of water and some painkillers on the table in front of him, Dex perched opposite Grey.

“Those should help a little, but are you sure you don’t want to get that checked out?” She nodded at his right arm, clutched tightly to his side “You took quite a hit.”

“I’m fine.” He lied through gritted teeth, knocking back the pills with a muffled groan.

“If you think I’m believing that bullshit, then your blow to the head has done more damage than I thought.”

“Dex, I can manage. I’ve suffered worse scrapes, trust me.” 

“You can barely sit up straight!”

“I promised Ansel I’d be at his soccer game this afternoon.”

“Ansel will understand, I’ll explain...”

Grey’s face darkened slightly and Dex sensed his muscles tense as he took a sharp breath in.

“I’m **not** letting him down, Dex, so stop talking about it. You should know by now that if I say I’m going to do something, I follow it through. Especially when it comes to Ansel.”

Ordinarily, his spiky attitude would have pissed her off a little, but she was willing to let it slide on this occasion, given that he was trying to deliver on a promise he’d made to her brother. His loyalty to that kid was second to none.

“Fine, if you’re going to be a martyr about it, at least let me wash the blood out of your hair and clean you up before we go back outside. I don’t want you scaring children and old ladies with that beat up face.”

Catching sight of himself in the mirror over Dex’s shoulder, a dried trail of blood on his temple and split lip on display, Grey huffed a reluctant agreement then followed her into the bathroom. 

Dragging a small stool across the floor towards the basin, Dex gestured to it with a flick of her wrist and looked him in the eye.

“Sit.”

“I’m not a damn dog.”

“Well, I don’t know - you both pee standing up.” 

“You are... _insufferable_ sometimes.”

“I know.” She said proudly “Now, sit.” 

Grey shook his head and carefully lowered himself onto the little stool, cursing under his breath as his shoulder accidentally bumped against the counter, sending a jolt of pain ripping through him.

“Good boy.” Dex smirked sarcastically, ignoring the glare he shot her in reply. 

Rolling up a hand towel and placing it behind his neck, she gently guided Grey’s head backwards towards the basin. Testing the water temperature, Dex began to silently wet his hair. She tenderly stroked her thumb along his hairline, removing all the dried blood. Grazing across his temple, but being careful to avoid the injured area directly. Her fingers raked themselves slowly over his scalp as she worked the shampoo into a lather, making Grey moan before he had a second to catch himself. 

“Sorry, did that hurt?”

“No...” he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably “uh...it feels nice, actually.”

“Oh.”

There was a brief pause before Dex returned to rinsing the suds from his hair without saying another word. Using a new towel, she dabbed at his wet skin and carefully dried around his cuts, placing some steri-strips across the worst one. Leaning closer, she wrapped the cotton material around her fingers to clean the dried blood from Grey’s face, feeling him watch her intently as she cared for him, and catching his eye just the once as she reached over his body to put the dirty towels in the laundry basket. Her stomach resting fleetingly against his side.

“All done.” She said, stepping away with a brisk clap of her hands. 

“Thanks...”

He stood, trying to meet her gaze again, but Dex was already on her way back to the kitchen as she spoke over her shoulder.

“Don’t mention it.”

...

A bead of sweat gathered at the nape of Grey’s neck and trickled between his shoulder blades, such was the exertion of concealing his pain from Ansel.

He stood on the touch line, holding his right arm under the elbow with his left hand, watching the game with the biggest smile he could muster plastered to his face. 

When Ansel dribbled the ball past two defenders before taking a shot that landed right in the back of the net, Grey cheered the loudest of anyone in the crowd, despite the searing pain that shot right up through his arm and shoulder.

“D-did you see t-that? I scored, Dex!” Ansel yelled delightedly, completely out of breath after running back up the length of the pitch towards them.

“Sure did, buddy! You were awesome!” Dex hugged him tightly and ruffled his hair.

“I did what you s-said, Grey, I fooled the defenders and it worked!” Ansel beamed, trying to catch his breath amidst his celebrations.

“You did great, man. I’m proud of you. Now get back on the pitch before they re-start the game without you!” Grey smiled back through gritted teeth.

“Okay. I’m gonna try to score another one and win the game!”

Waiting until Ansel’s back was turned, Dex spoke without looking at Grey.

“How ya holding up there, cowboy?”

“Cowboy?”

“Yeah, you know - after your little rodeo earlier...” 

“Sometimes, I wonder why we’re still friends.” Grey scowled, his eyes still following the action on the pitch.

“Ah, c’mon, you know why we’re still friends...”

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

“Because I’d help you bury the bodies, no questions asked.” Dex shrugged, matter-of-factly.

“Hmm. You have a point.” He tilted his head in acknowledgment.

“I expect the same in return, of course.”

“Of course.” Grey managed to smile.

As the second half was nearing it’s end, Dex wandered over to Tookie’s truck to get them some water. She was gone longer than intended - Tookie always had some big business plans he wanted to get her input on, despite her very clear lack of knowledge in the catering industry. 

Chuckling to herself as she walked back towards the game, Dex’s smile fell as she saw Grey leaning his weight heavily against a bench, like his legs had given way on him and he was struggling to stay upright. 

Once back at his side, she could see the bead of perspiration beginning to form along his brow line with the effort of pretending not to be in pain. 

“Grey? What happened?”

“Nothing.” He breathed heavily “Just felt a little light headed all of a sudden. I’ll be okay, just gimme a minute and I’ll be fine.”

Dex narrowed her eyes. He looked far from fine. The sag of his shoulders told her as much. As he raised his head to sip the water she’d held out to him, she noticed his skin was turning sallow, and that was enough to make her mind up. 

“Hey, Tookie?” She yelled over the noise of the small crowd, waving him frantically over towards her.

“What’s up, Dex?” Tookie approached a moment later, as quickly as him frame would allow.

“Can you do me a favour? Can you take Ansel back home for me once his game is over?”

“Sure.” He nodded, glancing with concern at Grey “Everything alright here?”

“I’m fine.” Grey tried to protest weakly, but even he wasn’t really buying it anymore.

“Stop talking.” Dex chastised “Okay, Tooks - I need to get this idiot some medical attention. Ansel has his own key, I might be a while so...I dunno, get a take out with him and use the cash next to the phone in the hall...”

“A take out? You insult me.” Tookie shook his head, horrified “I will make that boy the best meal he’ll taste all month!”

“I mean, sure...that works too.”

“It’s all he’s gonna talk about for days on end, Dex. Trust me.”

“Okay. Sounds good.” Dex forced a small smile as she turned her concentration to the task of hoisting Grey to his feet “Call me if Ansel needs anything. Thanks Tookie, I owe you one.”

“Several. You owe me _several_ , Dex!” 

“Mmhmm. Noted.”

Shuffling them both to her car, Dex leaned Grey up against the passenger door as she unlocked it, guiding him into his seat despite his objections.

“I don’t need to see a doctor” he winced through the pain “I just need to go home and sleep it off, Dex. My head hurts, I need to lie down, please.”

“Don’t try to fight me on this one, Grey.” She replied sternly “I parent my teenage brother - you will _not_ win.”

...

An older, red-headed nurse picked up a clipboard from the counter and skimmed over the patient details on the chart. With a weary sigh, she pushed her glasses back up her nose, glancing over to the full waiting area and heading to the door.

“Grey McConnell? The doctor will see you now. Follow me.”

Grey rose from his seat, wobbling slightly. Dex automatically stood too, earning her a quizzically raised eyebrow from his direction once he’d gained his bearings.

She extended an awkward hand towards the treatment room in question.

“You, uh...you want me to come with...or, no?”

“No, of course not. I’m a big boy, Dex.”

“Oh, I know...” she snickered to herself, just loud enough for him to hear.

Grey stared at her incredulously, as the nurse stood looking thoroughly confused in the doorway. 

“Seriously? Just, please wait here...” He pointed back at her seat “...and maybe try not to cause a disturbance?”

“Can’t promise anything.” She muttered, lowering herself and picking up a magazine they both knew she was never going to read.

Thirty minutes - and three awkward conversations with other patients - later, Dex was relieved to see the treatment room door open, a heavily strapped up Grey shuffling back out towards her with a dopey grin on his face.

The nurse thrust some bottles of medication into Dex’s hands, along with a whirlwind of information about when he must take them, and instructions that Grey wasn’t to be left on his own that night due to the concussion he’d sustained. She was to take him back to the doctor in three days for a follow-up appointment.

“Okay?” Asked the nurse, already turning to leave.

“Uh. Okay...pain meds, follow up in three days.” Dex nodded, glancing helplessly at Grey who seemed to be floating about six feet above ground on account of the painkilling injection they’d given him.

“And he must not be by himself tonight.” The nurse called back “That’s important. Can you do that, or do we have to admit him?”

Those words seemed to bring Grey back in the room and he shook his head furiously at Dex. 

She got the message. 

“Nope. Nope, that’s...fine. We’ll be fine. I’ll take care of it.”

...

After tagging Tookie out with profuse thanks and promises of repaying the favour, Dex went to get extra pillows and blankets from the cupboard for Grey. Her couch wasn’t exactly a plush king-size bed, but it was pretty comfy for the most part and Grey had never complained when he’d used it in the past. 

Walking back up the hall, she heard a loud crash followed by a muffled cry. Running back towards him, Dex found Grey in a heap on the floor having tried to take his shirt off one handed and causing himself to stumble over the side table on to the floor.

“I thought you wanted to stay out of the hospital, you dumbass.”

He groaned, eyes screwed up as his arm began to throb again.

“I was...I thought I could...never-mind.” Grey’s head dropped back against the floor as he grunted in pain. 

Dex had never seen him look so helpless before. He was always so self sufficient, taking care of himself was something Grey had been so used to doing for so much of his life that this was an unprecedented situation. 

She was no Florence Nightingale, but Dex couldn’t stand seeing him like that.

Tugging him gently by his good arm to get to his feet, Dex took a bottle of pills from her jacket and grabbed him some water. 

“According to my instructions, you need to take these now. Which is probably good, seeing as you seem to be intent on injuring yourself.”

“Thanks, nurse” Grey rolled his eyes.

Ignoring his sarcasm, Dex reached forward and started to undo the cuffs of his shirt sleeves.

“What are you doing?” 

“Taking your shirt off.”

Wriggling his arm free, Grey frowned “I can do it.” He insisted.

“Doubtful.”

“I’m not an invalid.”

“You will be once those pills kick in, apparently they’re pretty strong. So if you’re going to undress yourself you’d better do it now.” 

“I will.”

“Go ahead...”

“I’m going to!”

Dex crossed her arms over her chest and watched the inevitable unfold as Grey fumbled one-handed with the tiny buttons and got caught up with his sling, cursing in frustration.

“Give up yet?”

“Dex, I’m a fully grown adult, more than capable of_”

“Just shut up and accept my help, man!” Dex stepped forward and cut him off, reaching again for his sleeve cuff and refusing to relinquish her grip “God, why are you such a stubborn ass?”

“Takes one to know one.” Grey muttered petulantly.

After removing his shirt, Dex re-strapped Grey’s arm over the top of his vest, making sure it was sufficiently supported.

“Okay, all done. It’s pretty late so I’d better hit the hay.” She thumbed in the direction of the stairs “You know where I am if you need me.”

Two steps away from the door, his voice called her back.

“Dex, wait...”

She turned, seeing Grey stood with a pensive look on his face. 

“What’s up.”

“It’s just...”

“Just what?”

“I need you.” His gaze dropped.

Dex tried to hide the surprise from her voice, finding herself already walking back to him.

“Pardon?”

“It’s a little embarrassing for me, but, I can’t do this on my own.”

She looked at him and found herself smiling, seeing his face soften in response.

“I’m not going anywhere, Grey. I know I don’t say it much, but you know I’m always here for you, right?”

“I’m so glad to hear you say that.” He grinned.

“Sure. Whatever you need.”

“Great. Because I _really_ need to use the bathroom.”

“Oh.” Dex replied flatly, stepping backwards “You’re on your own there.”

He frowned at her.

“What happened to ‘whatever you need’?”

“Hey, we’re friends and all but I’m not helping you to pee, Grey!”

“What?! No! Dex, I just need help with the buttons” He nodded to his groin “I can’t manage it myself...”

“Oh. Right. Well...I guess I can do that.”

Dex bent forward, popping the buttons of his waistband as swiftly as possible, both of them looking in different directions to avoid inappropriate eye contact.

“All set...there’s spare toothbrushes in the cabinet, by the way...”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

...

Laying on her back, Dex watched the moonlight dapple across her ceiling through the open curtains. She’d tried to sleep, but it wasn’t forthcoming, and now she was restless. Being alone with just her mind for company was never something she enjoyed too much, especially at night when the silence outside seemed to amplify the sound of her thoughts.

Swinging her legs over the bed, she stood and stretched, pacing the floor of her room. She needed a drink, and not the kind that was in a glass next to her bed.

Tip-toeing past Ansel’s room and down the stairs, Dex crept into the kitchen in the dark, not wanting to wake a sleeping Grey. 

Pouring herself a hard drink, she sat on a stool and closed her eyes, letting the alcohol burn a slow and glorious path down her throat. 

What a day.

Glancing over to the couch, she felt a smile tug at her face seeing a peaceful Grey with his mouth hanging open in blissful sleep.

She found herself wandering over to his side. This man who literally crashed into her life out of the blue, and for some unknown reason decided he was keen to stay when all others would have bolted.

He was a good friend.

Crouching by his side, Dex pulled his blankets back up over his body from where they lay at his feet. 

She went to adjust his pillow, but cursed herself when he stirred and opened his bleary eyes.

“Dex...?” He croaked, voice full of sleep.

“Yeah, it’s me. Just checking you were still alive.” 

“I think so...”

“Uh-huh. You’re all good. Go back to sleep.”

She went to stand, but felt his fingers curl round her wrist keeping her in place.

“Thanks for looking after me.” Grey whispered “I’m lucky to have you.” 

He suddenly leaned forward and placed a tiny kiss on the corner of her mouth before she had a chance to register what was happening.

Muscles tensed, Dex slowly moved her head away from him, noticing with a flood of relief the fact that Grey’s pupils were wide as saucers. They were so huge that his eyes were practically black...and that’s when she calmly took a breath, smiled and nodded kindly at him before he slipped back into his slumber. 

It was simply the medication.

He was high as a kite. 

That had to be it.

_That_ she could handle. 


	3. Chapter 3

***A/N - Sorry for the delay, this chapter turned out much longer than planned and took a couple of re-writes to complete. Given the awful news that ABC have decided not to go ahead with S2 after all, i hope this new chapter is something to help distract us from the possibility of not seeing these characters again :( ***

Crossing the Line Ch 3:

Kicking the door closed behind her with a bang, Dex juggled the bags of groceries in her arms and cursed under her breath as several apples tumbled to the floor and lay forlornly at her feet.

"Ah, who am I kidding..." she muttered "as if I was actually going to eat them anyway."

Shuffling out of her shoes and continuing through to the kitchen, Dex laid the bags down on the counter and removed numerous bottles of beer with great care, ensuring they were placed safely inside the fridge.

" _That's_ more like it." She grinned to herself.

Spotting clusters of popcorn and confectionary strewn across the kitchen surfaces, Dex shook her head as she scooped them into the trash, but smiled fondly at the remnants of Grey and Ansel's movie marathon from the previous night.

Strictly no girls allowed.

Not that she'd cared - she got to have one hell of a long shower in peace.

"Hey, Ansel..." Dex called "...what do you want to eat for dinner tonight?"

His footsteps hurried down the stairs two at a time, skidding into the kitchen behind her with a buoyant laugh.

"Pasta!"

"Pasta. Again? Really?"

"I like it. Please?" Ansel looked at her so hopefully, she could never refuse.

"Okay, fine. I'm sure we can persuade Grey to join us for yet another pasta dish."

"Grey's not h-here." Ansel frowned.

"What do you mean? I thought you guys had a games tournament planned?" Dex stopped unloading food and turned to face her brother.

"He left."

"Left?" She laughed "Come on man, you gotta give me a little more detail."

"Somebody kept calling him, over and over. Grey looked mad. He said he had to go..."

Dex stopped chuckling immediately.

"Go where?"

"I don't know..."

"Grey didn't tell you?"

"No..." he replied quietly "I d-didn't ask, I thought you knew about it."

"When was this?"

Registering the concern on her face, Ansel stepped forward and twisted his fingers together anxiously.

"About an hour ago...is something wrong, Dex? Is Grey in trouble?"

"No." She said emphatically, tugging him into a bear hug and ruffling the top of his head "No, absolutely not, buddy. I'm sure everything is just fine. He probably just had some stuff to sort out at his place, that's all."

The hair on the back of Dex's neck stood on end. Grey would never just up and leave without saying anything, especially when it meant leaving Ansel at home by himself. Looking over to the couch where Grey had been sleeping for the past fortnight, she noticed with alarm that all his stuff was gone.

She could feel the heat of anger rising like a wave from her gut, and Dex grabbed it firmly with both hands, because being angry at Grey for leaving unannounced was a heck of a lot easier than acknowledging the razor sharp shards of panic that were trying to embed themselves in her mind about his sudden and uncharacteristic disappearance.

Dex was well aware of his past, and that some of the people Grey knew were not the type you would invite over for Christmas dinner...or the type you could say _no_ to very easily.

So it stood to reason that Grey's disappearing act may not have been entirely by choice.

...

The hours without word from Grey stretched painfully slowly into several days, and Dex's stomach had become a hard knot of worry, only loosened temporarily thanks to the shots of strong liquor she downed when Ansel wasn't around.

Dex was becoming increasingly concerned, and on the verge of calling the cops to report Grey missing. She'd tried every other avenue she could think of to reach him, including going to the few contacts of his that she knew, but none of them had heard anything...or if they _had_ , they certainly weren't telling the random brunette with a feisty attitude who rocked up to their auto shop.

Ansel was finally asleep, after another restless night of badgering Dex about where Grey was, and why he hadn't come back for their games tournament. She was running out of excuses for him, and her resentment at Grey for being the reason she was having to keep lying to her little brother was increasing by the day.

Dex had been pacing the floor in the dark for an hour whilst nursing the largest whiskey she could pour with the phone in her other hand. Her bare feet were starting to get sore from the circles she was walking repeatedly around the house.

She stared hard at her cell, as if her anger could somehow summon him. Sighing heavily, she tried Grey's number for the hundredth time. It rang through to voicemail again.

Dropping to the couch, Dex gripped her phone slightly tighter at the familiar sound of his voice telling her to leave a message, throwing it down to one side when she felt her throat start to burn with the effort of holding back tears of frustration.

_Where the hell was he?_

Taking a large gulp of whiskey, Dex held it in her mouth, letting it make her tongue tingle and her lips go numb before finally swallowing its heat and enjoying the burn it left behind. Sinking back into the couch cushions, she covered her face with both hands and groaned. She was all out of ideas.

Pressing her knuckles into her eyeballs, she rubbed slowly, trying to push the dull ache of sleep deprivation from her brain.

The sound of her phone made her jump. The undeniable ping of an incoming message. Dex scrambled to sit up and grab her cell. She saw the screen and frowned.

_Messages: (2)_

_(Unknown number)_

Holding her breath, Dex swiped to read them.

( _Unknown)_

' _Hey. I just wanted to let you know I'm okay. I know you're probably pissed at me, and I'm aware I've left a lot of questions, but I can't give you answers right now. I'm sorry.'_

( _Unknown)_

' _It's Grey, obviously...'_

Her heart thundered in her chest as she re-read the words. Tapping out a response at lightning speed, she hit 'send' and curled her shaking fingers into a fist.

( _Dex)_

' _How do I know you're really Grey?'_

_(Unknown)_

' _Who else would message you at this time of night? Suddenly you don't trust me?'_

_(Dex)_

' _I trust Grey. I just don't trust that you are him. Tell me something only he would know.'_

_(Unknown)_

' _You beat my ass at pool every time we play.'_

_(Dex )_

' _Everyone knows Grey sucks at pool. Try again.'_

_(Unknown)_

' _Ouch. Okay, your brother is the sweetest soul I've ever met. Already a better person than I could hope to become.'_

_(Dex)_

' _Whilst that is completely true, I'm going to need something a little more definitive.'_

_(Unknown)_

' _Well, I didn't want to go there, but you're kinda forcing my hand now...'_

_(Dex)_

' _I'm waiting...'_

_(Unknown)_

' _Fine. You have a small birth mark shaped like a heart on the inside of your left thigh.'_

There was a delay in Dex's response, but sure enough her message finally came through. It consisted of just two words, and he could practically feel her smiling through his screen.

' _Hi, Grey...'_

_..._

He'd message her from a different unknown number every few days. Always in the small hours of the morning, just checking to see if she and Ansel were doing alright, and letting her know he was still in one piece. On the nights she couldn't sleep, he'd stay up too, texting her to keep her mind occupied so she didn't spiral head first into the darkness he knew she feared so much.

Just because he wasn't physically there didn't mean he couldn't _try_ to be somewhat present when she needed him. She had appreciated that, at least. Not that Dex would tell him. She was still pissed that he'd left in the first place.

She'd always ask, but Grey would never tell her where he was, or who he was with. He just repeated that he would return as soon as he could.

In all honesty, despite her frustration, Dex was happier not knowing the truth most of the time.

Sometimes you just had to do what needed to be done. She got that. They'd all been there, but it didn't make his absence any more bearable.

It was the most lonely she had felt since before they'd met, and Dex remembered just how much she hated that painfully sad, hollow feeling that made her chest hurt.

...

Dex stood outside on the porch to wave Ansel off on the bus as he headed to school. The summer air was warm as she breathed it in, even this early in the day, and she closed her eyes; allowing herself a moment to feel the heat of the sun seeping through her skin and into her bones. Beams of light and energy zipping straight into her bloodstream.

She sighed happily. A rare moment of contentment.

The sound of an engine made Dex open her eyes just in time to see a familiar red truck pulling up along the sidewalk, as unannounced as the day it left. Every muscle in her body suddenly and involuntarily relaxed.

It was a weird sensation, relief.

Like the strings that had been tightened around her organs constricting them with worry were all cut loose at once.

She turned slowly and kept her face neutral as Grey approached, actively resisting the smile that was trying to fight its way to the corners of her mouth.

Dex wanted to hug him.

But far more acutely, she wanted to punch him.

Very hard.

Repeatedly.

Right in the face.

"Am I hallucinating?" Dex exclaimed sarcastically "Or is that the elusive Grey McConnell I see before me?"

"Hey, Dex." He ducked his head sheepishly as he got out of the driver's side door, squinting in the sun.

As he came closer, she noticed a large bruise below his right eye, and the healing wound on his cheekbone. Forcing herself not to stare, she arched her brow at him and cocked her head "You've been gone over a month, and all I get is a ' _Hey, Dex_ '?"

Grey screwed his face up and smiled apologetically.

"Actually, I was coming over here to see if you wanted to go get some breakfast..."

"Are you paying?" She crossed her arms.

"It looks that way..."

"Then let's go." Dex replied "I'd be foolish to turn down free pancakes."

...

Sitting opposite him in a booth, and tapping her fingers loudly against the edge of their table, Dex stared hard at the coffee cup Grey was drinking from. At one point it was so intense, he thought maybe she was trying to burn a hole in the bottom of the mug.

He took a long sip before lowering his arm and forcing her to look him in the eye instead.

"It's okay, you can say it."

"Say what?"

"You wanna hit me, don't you..." Grey smiled sadly.

"Is it that obvious?"

He nodded.

"Then it seems like I need to work on my poker face."

"Dex..." He began, finding himself quickly cut off.

"Well, Ansel is going to be stoked that you're home at last. As video game partners go, I fall pretty low in the rankings, apparently."

"I really missed that kid." Grey said earnestly.

"Yeah, the feeling was mutual." She couldn't hide the sharp edge of anger in her words "He was pretty lost without you."

Sitting up straight, Grey levelled his gaze at Dex "I'm sorry I left at such short notice. Truly, I am."

"Short notice?" She scoffed into her drink "No notice, more like."

He dragged a hand down his face, sighing heavily.

"I know. And I'm not proud of it, especially after everything you did for me. But I had no choice, Dex. You have to know that."

"So, you gonna tell me why you went?"

Grey dropped his eyes to the table, choosing to take another long drag from his coffee rather than answer the question he'd known was coming sooner or later.

"I can't..." He replied quietly.

Seeing the hurt flash across her face as she turned to look out of the window, Grey quickly continued "...for your own safety, Dex. Not because I don't want to."

"Right. No, sure. I get it..." Dex shook her head, her words short and clipped "I guess you just 'accidentally' walked into a door or something to get those injuries on your face too, huh."

He looked away, awkwardness creeping in to settle itself at the table like an unwanted guest.

Neither one of them had ever been so relieved to see a waitress arrive a few minutes later to deliver pancakes, and Dex busied herself with pouring an insane amount of syrup over her stack, before gesturing to their server.

"Excuse me, could I get some extra_"

"Syrup?" The waitress finished, producing a small jug full with a flourish.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks. How did you...?" Dex looked from the waitress to Grey, who had placed their order at the counter. He raised his brows and shrugged.

"I know you." He said, meaningfully.

Dex nodded but remained quiet. Turning her attention back to the pancakes, she shovelled the biggest forkful possible into her mouth - because, if her mouth was full, she didn't have to speak. If she spoke, she'd have to concede that what Grey had said was one hundred percent true.

He _did_ know her. Sometimes better than she knew herself. It was a little irritating, actually.

Grey saw his opportunity, striking whilst her ability to interrupt him again was hampered.

"I know you, Dex." He repeated "Just like I know that even though a small part of you wants to add another dent to my already crooked nose, a bigger part of you is actually happy that I'm back. I don't need you to say it to know that it's true."

She glared at him for a long moment, then he saw her lips curve upwards into a reluctant grin as she rolled her eyes.

"You're an asshole."

"I'm right though, _right?_ "

"You're still an asshole..."

"I'll take that." He beamed back at her, reaching forward to clink his coffee mug with her jug of syrup.

"So..." she asked once their plates were empty "...are you going to join us for dinner later? It's an Ansel special."

"Pasta?"

"I'm afraid so."

"That sounds perfect." Grey smiled.

...

The dinner bubbled appealingly in its sauce, and Dex gave it a final stir, feeling like a head chef winning at life because she hadn't burnt it this time. At the unmistakable sound of Grey's knock on her front door, she looked around for a towel before giving up and wiping her hands down the front of her jeans as she headed up the hall. A few steps away, a hurricane in the shape of Ansel whirled down the stairs at breakneck speed, nearly knocking Dex off her feet as he blasted past her to fling the door open and hurl himself into Grey's arms for a long overdue bear hug.

The lemon meringue pie in Grey's grasp didn't stand a chance, finding itself catapulted on to the porch steps with an audible splat.

Grey himself had the air knocked out of his lungs with no warning, a grimace of pain twisting his features just long enough for Dex to notice before he composed himself, returning the hug enthusiastically.

"Hey buddy!" He laughed breathlessly.

"You're back!" Ansel grinned up at him.

"Sure am." Grey smiled the widest he had for many weeks. That kid certainly had a way of melting his heart.

Dex watched from the doorway as her brother lit up in a way she hadn't seen for far too long, but she'd also seen the pain Grey tried to hide from them, so she couldn't let Ansel stand there squeezing the breath out of his lungs for too long. Cute as it was.

"Alright you two, there's pasta waiting to be eaten so let's move this party inside. First one to the table gets extra sauce!"

That had Ansel running straight for the kitchen, just as planned.

"Thanks..." Grey nodded knowingly at Dex as he crossed her path into the hallway.

She nodded back, following as he jogged ahead to where Ansel was already sitting at the table. Grey feigned his upset at having lost out on the prize of extra sauce to the delightful sound of Ansel's uncontrollable laughter.

Music to her ears.

...

Once second helpings had been devoured, Dex stacked the dishes haphazardly next to the sink knowing full well she'd forget to wash them later.

Behind her, the buoyant giggles from Ansel and Grey hung in the air and she couldn't help but smile broadly as she looked over her shoulder to see them clowning around at the table.

Dex found herself surprised by the sudden sensation of tears filling her eyes. She immediately swiped at them with the back of her hand and frowned at herself as an intense wave of emotion swept through her body.

This wasn't her. She didn't emote like normal people, she ignored things and hoped they'd go away. It had served her fairly well so far.

If you removed her crippling PTSD from the picture, that is.

Okay, fine. So, it didn't always work brilliantly, but Dex liked being guarded against her feelings. It was the one thing she could usually control pretty well, even when all else was falling to hell.

However she tried to spin it, Dex couldn't deny the happiness she felt right now, or the warm feeling in her chest that was totally alien, but not entirely unpleasant. Her, Grey, and Ansel had become a dysfunctional little family unit as their friendship had grown stronger. He was wonderful with Ansel, and she trusted him implicitly - an honour bestowed on pitifully few people in her lifetime so far.

Dex hadn't realised quite how much they'd missed Grey until he wasn't there. Hadn't admitted to herself that she, in fact, had felt his absence just as hard as Ansel.

"Okay..." she announced loudly, walking back to the table "...so, given the fact our dessert is currently being enjoyed by the ants on our porch, I had to improvise a little."

Dex placed a plate down with a grin, only to be met by furrowed brows of disgust.

"Pop tarts?!" Grey curled his lip "I'll pass."

"What's wrong with pop tarts? They're an American classic." She took a bite and pushed the offering towards them.

Ansel leaned forward to pick one up, bringing it gingerly to his nose.

"Eww, Dex...they're Pumpkin."

"Yah, because my pockets aren't lined with gold, bud. If Pumpkin is on offer, Pumpkin's what I buy!"

He dropped it back on to the plate with a grunt of disappointment, resting his chin in his hands and sulking.

Grey's eyes suddenly lit up, and he stood quickly from his chair.

"What are you...doing?" Dex asked, turning to watch as he brushed past her to head towards a cupboard near the sink.

"Remember when Ansel and I had that movie marathon?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I hid an emergency stash of snacks away just in case we ran out." Grey knelt down and reached behind the pots and pans.

Dex scoffed "If there were treats hidden in my kitchen, I'm pretty damn sure I would have found them by now..."

"I wouldn't bet on it." Grey declared, returning with his hands full of candy. He smirked at Dex as Ansel let out a delighted squeal.

"Fill your boots, kid!" He laughed, reaching for a bag of Skittles and ripping them open.

Dex watched for a moment, before tossing her half eaten pop tart to one side and stealing a couple of Twizzlers from Ansel instead.

"Sharing is caring." She declared.

...

It had long been dark outside when Dex finally managed to convince Ansel that he needed to go to bed. He reluctantly agreed, but only after Grey promised to come over in a few days for the games tournament they'd missed out on.

Ansel stopped in the doorway, running back to give Grey another hug.

"Now you have two w-working arms, I won't let you win anymore." He teased.

"Oh, that's fighting talk pal!" Grey chuckled "You'd better bring your A game!"

Dex had to wrangle Ansel back out of the room with a roll of her eyes, returning ten minutes later and heading straight to the fridge for two cold beers before collapsing onto the couch with a weary sigh.

"You read my mind." Grey said, reaching out his hand.

"Who said either of these are for you?" Dex challenged.

"Oh, so it's like _that_ , huh? I share my secret stash of candy with you and I still gotta get my own beer?!"

"You do the crime, you pay the fine..." she shrugged, the ghost of a smirk on her lips.

Grey huffed out a little laugh and shook his head, bracing to stand. He deserved that, he guessed.

"Sit down, idiot." Dex glanced sideways and shoved a bottle into his grasp.

Flicking the tv on, they clinked bottles and sat in companionable silence. Neither of them felt compelled to enter into conversation, but it suited them both.

They watched garbage television and sipped beer. The unspoken language of true friendship.

Once his bottle was empty, Grey quietly picked at the label before finally making a move to leave.

"Thanks again for dinner." He smiled, standing.

"Thanks for coming back." She replied, surprising them both.

Grey turned to her, a wounded look on his face.

"I was always going to come back, Dex."

Something about the way his voice dropped when he said her name made her instantly regret giving him a hard time.

When he reached for his jacket, Grey's shirt rode up, exposing his midriff. Dex's eyes were immediately drawn to the extensive bruising near his ribs: his skin mottled in shades of purple and blue with the evidence of a heavy beating, and the sight made her stomach lurch.

She hadn't wanted to think about what he'd been involved with while he was gone - but this was the ultimate proof that Grey hadn't been staying away willingly, and the knowledge killed her.

Dex got up quickly from the couch, leaning forward to reach for the hem of his shirt, lifting it up and holding it in place. Grey stumbled but regained his footing, sighing in resignation as he realised what she'd seen.

Her fingertips traced over his skin, causing him to take a sharp intake of breath. She swallowed hard, eyebrows knitting together in concern.

"What _happened_ to you, Grey?" Dex whispered, her voice catching on the unwelcome barbs of emotion in her throat.

His hand instinctively came up to cover hers, the warmth of her skin on his palms oddly soothing. She lifted her gaze to meet his and saw the sadness in his eyes. The burden of silence weighing heavy on his soul.

"It's nothing." He lied.

"I thought you were done with that part of your life?"

"Turns out that part of my life wasn't quite done with _me_."

Grey looked at her and exhaled heavily, finding her stern gaze unwavering "I'm okay, Dex..." He insisted.

"This is... _not_ okay." She tried to hide the wobble of her voice.

Her hands were splayed on his sides. Grey felt the gentle increasing pressure of her touch. Silently, her thumbs began to stroke up and down his marked skin with a tenderness he didn't know Dex had the ability to possess.

The only physical contact he'd had with anyone since leaving a month ago had been entirely negative, so he found the powerful strength of this new connection with her quite overwhelming.

The rational part of his brain was telling him that this wasn't how best friends behaved, but the emotional part told it to go fuck itself - because it had been a really shitty month and right now, being touched like this was a tonic Grey didn't even know he needed.

He closed his eyes. He wasn't sure why, but that's what happened.

Strangely, the only thing he could think about was how Dex smelled of lemons, and how he liked it because it always reminded him of the first night they met - not that he'd ever tell her he remembered what her skin smelled like whilst they were screwing.

But it was true.

Without warning, her hands left his body and Grey frowned at the lack of contact. When he opened his eyes, Dex was looking right at him.

Grey saw the intensity in her face, felt the warm air of her breath on his skin.

"This isn't a good idea..." He murmured, even as his hands moved of their own volition to curl around her waist.

"No..." She agreed quietly "...but since when has that ever stopped me?"

Dex pressed her lips firmly against his.

Her body leaned into him, and Grey hummed his approval. His mouth opened willingly, inviting her closer. Hands grabbed blindly at whatever they landed on. Clothes, hair, skin.

There was an urgency building, and when she felt his fingers digging into the spot above her hipbone, she was certain she hadn't been the only one to sense it.

Dex could taste his apology on her tongue, and it only made her kiss him back even harder with her own forgiveness.

"Dex?"

Ansel's voice carried loudly down the stairs, making them leap apart with a jolt the second they heard him call her name...

...


End file.
